Clinging To Him (BoyxBoy) #1.1

Clinging To Him {Ten}

"Did you tell him yet?" Dylan asked me over the phone.

"Yeah, more or less."

"Max, what does that mean? Did you actually?"

"Stop doubting me, yeah? Look, I told Nico but he's busy now that he's the big boss of a Mafia group. He can't solely focus on things related to me like he used to be able to. He doesn't have that much time on his hands nowadays. He's also preparing to go out of town on a business meeting." I looked around quickly to see if anyone heard me say that but thankfully no one was. I was at school on a Monday morning sitting down outside in the grassy field where Sal and I spent our lunches together. I had told Nico about what Gregory said and even that he wanted to meet with Nico in person. Obviously that's the last thing that Nico wanted to do but he agreed. He also left the details up to me to sort out with Gregory on the date to meet.

"How'd he take it "

Anger didn't even begin to describe the emotion that Nico showed when I told him about Gregory visiting me and my parents resurfacing. He looked ready to go out on a manhunt looking for my parents when I told him that piece of information but of course now he had to be careful because whatever he did would affect the Delacroix as a whole. He couldn't just go out and act on impulse now that he had eyes following him everywhere. Besides, such blatant favoritism wouldn't make me look good in the eyes of the group whenever I decided to go back. Though, instead of telling Dylan all of that I simply said, "As you'd expect. It is Nico after all."

I heard Dylan chuckle softly and add, "That's true. You said he's going on a business meeting? When?"

"I don't know couple of days give or take."

"I see. What does it involve? What do Mafia bosses even meet about?"

"Why are you so interested?" I asked as I laid flatly on the ground with my bag right next to me as I was under the buildings long shadow.

"I was just wondering." He said and then added, "Is Mikhail going to join him?"

"Don't know" I added, feeling a bit irritated at having to talk about Mikhail but decided it would be best not to start up a fight about Mikhail yet again. "He has classes just like you but I can't say for sure he won't just skip those. Mikhail and Nico have basically been glued to the hip ever since everything went down with Elisha. I suppose it's for good reason, too. They still haven't found his body so right now I think we're all hoping that his body got gobbled up by sharks or that he's down on the sea floor with those angler fishes."

"Yeah." Dylan agreed quietly. I knew Dylan still didn't like to bring up Elisha in conversation. He always got weird about it even though he wasn't even there when anything happened. My guess was that he felt some kind of guilt for not being to do anything. Nico had a big influence there since he was always a prick about it and kept reminding Dylan that he was useless. At least I just said he was annoying, though I really doubted that he actually believed my words whereas Nico's words affected Dylan more. "Well, if they both decide to leave then you should stay at my apartment or I could come stay with you. You know, so you're not alone."

"Dylan, I live in a freaking mansion with like twenty workers coming in and out all the time. Not to mention there's the members that loiter around." I reminded him.

"Right but it's amazing how even in a room full of people you still manage to look lonely." Dylan said and I opened my mouth to say something but was left a bit speechless. I couldn't exactly deny what Dylan had said because inside that's how I felt.

Alone.

My parents didn't need me and neither did Gregory. Rachel had erased me from her memory and Nico now had Mikhail by his side. Who was I living for now if not for myself. Who even needed someone as dirty and worthless as me? The answer was probably no one but deep inside I still had this glimmer of hope that someone did need me.